Vice Provost Larry Roper with Michael Coomes

Larry Roper, Ph.D. has served as Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Professor of Ethnic Studies at Oregon State University since 1995. He has an undergraduate degree from Heidelberg College, M.A. from Bowling Green State University, and Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, College Park. He has held numerous positions in student affairs, including Director of Housing; Associate Dean of Students; Coordinator of Multicultural Affairs; and Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students. Roper currently teaches courses in Speech Communications, College Student Services Administration, Ethnic Studies, and the Doctoral Program in Community College Leadership. He served as the principle investigator and Project Director for a Kellogg Foundation grant for the Leadership for Institutional Change in Higher Education Initiative (1999-2005).

He is involved in professional associations; including elected and appointed leadership positions in ACPA and NASPA. He served as an ACPA Senior Scholar and now carries the designation of Senior Scholar Diplomate. He served a 4-year term as Editor of the ­NASPA Journal. Roper just completed terms as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges and a Commissioner with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

Among awards received are: Outstanding Professional Educator Award, University of Maryland College of Education; the Beaver Champion Award for exemplary leadership at Oregon State University; the Distinguished Alumni Award and the Chancellor's Minority Achievement Award from the University of Maryland; The Oregon State University Ethics Integrity Award, Frances Dancy Hooks Diversity Coalition Builder Award, and Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Service as a Dean from NASPA in 2006.

Roper has more than 20 publications in the form of book chapters, journal articles, magazine articles, book reviews and monographs. He is co-editor of book, Teaching For Change: The Difference, Power and Discrimination Model, which currently at press.

Michael D. Coomes Ph.D. is Associate Professor and Chair of the Division of Higher Education and Student Affairs at Bowling Green State University. He is the recipient of several national awards including most recently the Robert H. Shaffer Distinguished Alumni Award from Indiana University, the Phillip A. Tripp Distinguished Service Award from the Ohio College Personnel Association, and ACPA's Annuit Coeptis awards for both the Emerging and Experienced Professional. He is a prolific author, editor, and conference presenter/facilitator. He is the author/editor of three issues of New Directions for Student Services, author of 21 book chapters and 10 refereed journal articles. His most recent contributions to the literature, speaking and consultation are focused on the working with the millennial generation of college students.

Coomes is hosting his third ACPA version of the "Actor's Studio" with this year's pillar of the profession: Dr. Larry Roper